1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of telephone switching equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tool for generating computer code to facilitate development of call detail record management tools.
2. Background of the Invention
A continuing problem faced by cellular telephone companies is monitoring activity on their cellular telephone networks. One consequence of the inability to effectively monitor activity in the system is the possibility that unbilled or otherwise unauthorized activity can occur on the network. This can happen for a number of reasons, including stolen service through a variety of cellular fraud schemes, billing mistakes due to incorrect entry of billing information, manufacturer errors in configuring telephone switches that lead to missed billing opportunities, errors in switch operating systems and poor management that results in improper billing for used services. Detecting such lost billing opportunities requires analysis of the activity of each telephone switch in the telephone network.
Telephone switches in cellular telephone systems typically generate one or more call detail records (CDRs). The CDRs include information related to every telephone call that the telephone switch generating the CDR has a part in handling. Exemplary information commonly found in CDRs includes information regarding the originator of the telephone call, including calling party number or a-number, and information regarding the called party, including dialed number, called number or b-number. In addition, CDR information generally includes the time the call was made, the duration of the call, the status of the call or termination code and any other desired information regarding a telephone call captured by the switch.
CDRs generated by switches manufactured by different manufacturers usually have different structures. For example, some switch manufacturers provide switches that use the same CDR structure for every telephone call handled by the switch. Other switch manufacturers provide switches that generate CDRs having different structures based on the type of telephone call. Differences in CDR structures can also exist in CDRs generated by different switches manufactured by the same manufacturer. For example, different CDR structures may be used for telephone calls originating on land-line telephones, telephone calls originating on cellular telephones, telephone calls terminating on land-line telephones and telephone calls terminating on cellular telephones.
Managing the large amount of information contained in CDRs efficiently requires development of new software CDR management tools. These management tools will be able to use the information in the CDRs to help better understand the dynamics of the cellular telephone system. The management tools have to access the CDRs produced by the switches in the cellular telephone system. Consequently, software that allows access of the CDRs has to be written for each new management tool. However, writing new software to access the information stored by cellular telephone switches for each new management tool that is developed is an inefficient process that is prone to error.